Country A says “We have to fight Country B. Yes some people will die. But if we do nothing, Country B will attack us and 10 times more people will die!”
Country B says “We have to fight Country A. Yes some people will die. But if we do nothing, Country A will attack us and 10 times more people will die!”
Even though both countries seem to want as few deaths as possible, their actions combine (and escalate) to cause more deaths.
In war, this manifests as a Pascal’s Mugging.
Is there a name for the following paradox:
Country A says “We have to fight Country B. Yes some people will die. But if we do nothing, Country B will attack us and 10 times more people will die!”
Country B says “We have to fight Country A. Yes some people will die. But if we do nothing, Country A will attack us and 10 times more people will die!”
Even though both countries seem to want as few deaths as possible, their actions combine (and escalate) to cause more deaths.